Rockets’ fast-break offense stalling in crunch time

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The Rockets want to fast break at every opportunity and averaged 22.5 fast-break points in the first two games of the road trip.

But they did not score a point on a break in the final 24 minutes against the Blazers or the last 18 minutes against the Lakers.

Games typically become more halfcourt-oriented down the stretch, but the Rockets cannot regularly succeed by slowing down to that degree.

“We actually talked about (that) this morning in our coaches’ meeting,” Rockets acting coach Kelvin Sampson said Monday. “It was probably a little bit of sustaining how it is we want to play. The fourth-quarter running I think still comes down (to) our newness and our trust. I still don’t think we trust each other 100 percent.

“James (Harden) being our best player, he still has the mentality that he takes the burden, the responsibility. He wants to win the game. We have to work on fourth-quarter offense. The last two minutes, I don’t like the idea that James wants to stand and hold the ball, and I don’t think he does, either.

“We just haven’t had enough time to put in some stuff we want to put in. In the fourth quarter, we have to continue to attack.”

ESPN picks up pair of games

Rockets fans who don’t have access to Comcast SportsNet Houston will get a chance to watch two of the team’s games in December and January on ESPN.

ESPN has picked up the Rockets’ Dec. 14 game at Toyota Center against the Celtics and the Jan. 16 game in Dallas against the Mavericks.

ESPN does not have to black out games in the participating teams’ viewing areas, so the games will be available in Houston on ESPN.